The festival is presented and run by The Japan Foundation, Sydney and is now an established calendar event. The JFF started in 1997 with three free film screenings by Festival Director Masafumi Konomi and is now the largest Japanese film festival in the world.

Last year, the Festival celebrated its 17th year with an audience of approximately 25,000 Australia-wide. The Festival has enjoyed great success over the years, with the opportunity to showcase a vast variety of cinematic delights from classics to newly released films currently screening in Japan. The JFF debuts its main program in Auckland, New Zealand this year.